Chair of WHN LME Board Did NOT Support Medicaid Waiver: WHN LME Board Meeting 9:30 am, 5.6.2011

I spoke w/ the Chairman of the WHN LME Board, Ryan Whitson, tel 894 3301, x 8, a moment ago. He indicated, very clearly, that he did not support the Medicaid waiver 'because I don't trust the state of NC.' He reported that 3 other of the 16 members did not support the waiver.

There is a meeting of the WHN LME Board this Friday, 9:30 am. Providers may make public comment, something he indicated he put into place, by 'signing in' at 9:15 am, in order to speak before the board . I will be there.

A helpful woman at Western Highlands Network LME, Rhonda, in Human Resources (rhonda@westernhighlandsnetwork.org) indicated to me that there are 16 members of the WHN LME board and amongst those 16 are 8 county manager, one of whom is Ryan Whitson. She was not able to tell me who the other managers were who voted against the Medicaid wavier (she simply did not recall but perhaps she could tell me later when I send her an e mail)

Rhonda explained that prior to the WHN LME Board acting on the matter, that the resolution was approved by each of the county commissioner boards. She indicated she would scan that resolution and send it to me and then I will place it on this blog.

THUS, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: IF PEOPLE BEING SERVICED BY AN LME DO NOT WANT THE MEDICAID WAIVER, THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHOM VOTE ON THE MATTER FIRST, ARE INFORMED.

I don't know if this ridiculous waiver is a 'done deal' or not but I intend to drag my fingernails across the chalkboard the entire time.

The current members of the WHN LME Board are:

Ryan Whitson, chair
Mandy Stone
Minny Jones
Steve Wyatt
Abigail Karroubi
Steve Garriso
Carolyn Moser
Charles Vines
Keith Holtzclaw
Barbara Trumble
John Coudrey
Susan Hendrick
Arthur Wilson
Steven Smith
Mason Bennett
Joe Martin